For semiconductor devices such as light-emitting diodes designs are known in which the semiconductor chips provided to generate radiation are mounted in prefabricated housings. Such designs can only be miniaturized with difficulty in order to produce particularly compact light-emitting diodes.
A solution to this problem known from the prior art consists of forming a housing body composite which is disposed between semiconductor chips disposed in the manner of a matrix. The housing body composite can be produced, e.g., by means of a casting process. In a subsequent method step, the housing body composite is separated into a plurality of optoelectronic semiconductor devices and so each separated semiconductor device comprises at least one semiconductor chip and a part of the housing body composite as a housing body.
The problem arises in this case that the housing body composite and therefore also the housing bodies formed from the housing body composite are highly absorbent, that is to say they are substantially black. This is disadvantageous when using semiconductor chips which emit a large amount of light via their side flanks since this light impinges on the housing body and is immediately absorbed.
Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that in the case of semiconductor devices which comprise a conversion layer disposed downstream of the semiconductor chip, by scattering in the conversion layer, light impinges on the adjoining housing body and is likewise absorbed to a considerable extent.
One possible solution to the problem consists of forming connecting elements, which are formed by metallization and serve to contact the semiconductor chip, with as large a surface as possible and in this way covering the light-absorbing regions of the housing body to the greatest possible extent. However, with such a procedure a suitable metal, such as, e.g., silver, must be used, which is not corrosion-stable. This requires the formation of an additional passivation layer, e.g., by deposition of silicon dioxide or parylene. Furthermore, it is necessary for the radiation exit surface to be kept free of the reflective connecting element, which makes an additional structuring step necessary. In addition to the difficulties of this procedure presented, such metallization also does not solve the problem described above that light emitted through side flanks of the semiconductor chip is absorbed by the housing body.